Cionus meticulosus (Sparrman)

Caldara, Roberto & Košťál, Michael, 2023, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Afrotropical Species Of The Weevil Genus Cionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 5288 (1), pp. 1-98 : 34-35

16. Cionus meticulosus (Sparrman) ( Figs 16a–f )

Curculio meticulosus Sparrman, 1785: 44 .

Cionus meticulosus (Sparrman) . Rosenschoeld, 1838: 734. Klima, 1934: 14 (meticulatus err.)

Type locality. Cape of Good Hope ( South Africa).

Type series. This species was described based on specimens from Cape of Good Hope. There are no type specimens of C. meticulosus in Sparrman’s collection in NHMS. However, in the same Museum, in Schoenherr’s collection, there are two specimens which Schoenherr received from Drège and identified as Cionus meticulosus . They are labelled: “♁ / Caffraria, Drègè” and “ ♀ / Caffraria, Drègè”. This taxon was erroneously quoted by Klima (1934) as “ meticulatus ”.

Diagnosis. Pronotum with two distinct protuberances, not fully conical, with slightly rounded sides and two indistinct vittae formed by pale brown scales. Elytra convex in apical half, with a few black spots, without raised scales, with few pale brown scales, all interstriae completely flat. Femora stout, with robust teeth. V2 with tuft of hair-like scales in male. Claws asymmetrical in both sexes.

Redescription. Male ( Figs 16a–b ). Body: robust, globose. Head: rostrum stout, moderately long (l/ w 3.71, Rl/Pl 1.13), black, in lateral view moderately curved, slightly tapered from base to apex, in dorsal view parallel-sided, slightly enlarged apicad, with distinct median longitudinal carina; in basal half densely, in apical half sparsely covered with recumbent, elliptical, moderately elongated (l/w 4–7), whitish scales. Head between eyes moderately narrow, half as wide as rostrum at base. Eyes flat. Antennae brown with dark brown club, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 10); funicle slightly shorter than scape, with S1 moderately more robust and slightly shorter than S2, 2.5× longer than wide, S2 2.5 × as long as wide, S3–5 as long as wide; club moderately oblongly oval, distinctly shorter than funicle, uniformly pubescent. Pronotum: dark brown, with dense, somewhat regularly arranged, small shallow punctures completely hidden by dense, recumbent, moderately long (l/w 4–6), subelliptical, whitish scales, with two vittae of very pale brown scales; distinctly conical, moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.51–1.56), widest at base, with rectilinear sides from base to apex, weakly convex, without protuberances. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: heart-shaped, feebly visible due to dense whitish scales also at its margins. Elytra: dark brown, slightly longer than wide (El/Ew 1.16–1.19), globose, widest at middle, wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.61–1.65), with distinct, rounded humeri, and slightly rounded sides, moderately convex on disc; interstriae flat, without distinct punctures, very slightly rugulose, opaque, completely hidden by recumbent, moderately elongated (l/w 4–7), subelliptical, whitish scales, with a few small blackish spots on odd interstriae, without raised scales, with a few pale brown scales; striae with dense, moderately deep punctures, half as wide as interstriae, intervals between punctures situated at same level as interstriae, completely hidden by vestiture. Venter: mesosternal process moderately convex, weakly emarginated. Metasternum with scales in middle moderately longer than those on sides, but not hair-like. Abdomen with dense, partially regularly arranged, small shallow punctures completely hidden by recumbent, dense, elongated, whitish scales, partly more elongated, partly hair-like on V1, V2 and V5, forming a tuft on V2; V1 1.9× as long as V2; V1+2 6.1× as long as V3+4, latter ones 0.8× as long as V5. Legs: densely covered with elongated whitish scales; femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae black, unci absent; tarsi black, onychium twice as long as T3; claws distinctly asymmetrical, one claw 1/3 as long as other. Penis: Figs 16d–f , its body in basal half wide, enlarged, then narrowed to apex, tip broad, emarginated. Flagellum robust and moderately long, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum distinctly longer (l/ w 4.29; Rl/Pl 1.25) ( Fig. 16c ), one claw half as long as other, abdomen with all scales similar in shape.

Variability. Length 3.6–4.3 mm. Scales of the dorsal vestiture vary from grayish to pale brown. Spots of blackish scales on odd interstriae vary in number although generally sparse.

Remarks. Similar to C. intermedius from which it differs by the more transverse pronotum sides slightly rounded, elytra more convex in apical half, and stouter femora with larger teeth. This species is also similar to C. angulicollis , from which it differs by larger size, elytra rectangular, not elliptical, scales on elytra distinctly imbricate, here on interstriae 1 and 3 black spots very sparse.

Biological notes. In the Eastern Cape, this species was collected from Buddleja sp. by the second author.

Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Eastern Cape, Western Cape).

Non-type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Knuyrivier, 16 km SW Ladysmith, 1.XII.1988, leg. Oberprieler (8, SANC); Pietermaritzburg, III.1949, leg. Munro (2, SANC); 25 km SW Richmond, 29°55’S 30°05’E, 31.III–2.IV.2011, leg. R. Müller (1, TMSA); Weenen, XI.1927, leg. Thomasset” (2, BMNH). Eastern Cape: W Bisho, km 35 from Peddie road N2, 33° 16’ S 26°48’ E 14.XI.2006, leg. Osella (2, GOCV); East London, 18.XII.1980, leg. Duke (1, MCNM); Graaf Reinet, 24–27.X.1931, leg. Ogilvie (2, BMNH); Graaf Reinet, Karroo Nat. Res., 830–1300 m, 24.X.1988, leg. Wittmer (2, SANC); Grahamstown, 35 km N 32°57’ S 26°09’ E, 12.X.1984, leg. Müller (2, TMSA); Grahamstown 10 km SW 350 m, 33°22’04”S 26°28’05”E, 26.XI.2017, on Buddleja sp. , leg. Košťál (6, MKCS); road N2 10 km SW Grahamstown, 33°22’18”S 26°28’58”E, 10–14.XI.2006 (16, ECCR; 4, MKCS; 4, RCCM); Grahamstown, Andries Vosloo Kudu Res., 33°07’S 26°38’E 30.XI.1983, leg. Oberprieler (2, SANC); Loerieheuwel, 10 km SW, 33°22’4”S 26°28’5”E, 20.XI.2017, on Buddleja sp. , leg. Košťál (1, MKCS); Mossel Bay, IV.1921 (1, BMNH); Suurberg Pass, m 900, 28.XI.1988, leg. Oberprieler (2, SANC); Tsitsikamma N. P., storms river mouthcamp suspension bridge trail, 21.XI.2013, leg. Wanat (2, MNHW). Western Cape: Montagu-Camping SPA 33°47’S 20°07’E, 200 m, 30.X.1988, leg. Colonnelli (6, ECCR); Red Stone Hill near Calitzdorp, 33°51’S 21°84’E, 17.VIII.2003, leg. Klass (4, SMTD); Plettenbergbaai, 6.I.1973, leg. Strydom (2, SANC).

Figures

FIGURES 15–16. FIGURE 15. Cionus diaboli sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: penis in ventral view, d: penis in lateral view, e: apex of penis in dorsal view. FIGURE 16. Cionus meticulosus. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale.